The European Green Deal sets ambitious targets for the EU, to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
The European Climate Law sets the intermediate target of reducing net GHG emissions by 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
Buildings account for nearly one-third of global final energy consumption.
In Europe, 62.8% of the total residential energy consumption stems from space heating; 15.1% from water heating.
Today, only 10% of global heating in buildings relies on heat pumps and, in order to meet national energy security and climate goals, heat pumps sales would need to triple by 2030, leading to a 30% reduction in global fossil fuel use in buildings.
In buildings, digitalization could cut energy use by about 10%.
REPowerEU Plan aims at reducing the use of gas and at hastening the switch to renewable energy by increasing the EU's target for renewable energy to cover 45% of energy consumption by 2030.
Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and EU Conflict Minerals Regulation push companies to rethink their production systems and increase transparency, also helping to regulate a responsible procurement.
Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) was launched to achieve sustainable production and consumption patterns that, based on circular product design relying on durability, reuse and recycling, lead to a 32% decrease in raw materials consumption by 2030.
According to the Global Gender Gap Index, which benchmarked 146 countries in 2022, the global gender gap has been closed by 68.1%, with 132 years still needed to reach full equality.
81% executives offer greater flexibility to their workers through new workplace policies.
According to further predictions, employee skills are expected to change by approximately 40% by 2025.
Shared value and sustainability awareness for the social development
The IEA predicts estimated 8% of emission reductions that derives from behavioral changes aimed at diminishing energy demand.
Servitization and digitalization have shaped new consumer habits characterized by the search for a comfortable and multichannel shopping experience that enhances customer proximity.
By 2023, 24% of revenue in the home appliance sector will be generated from online sales.
Consumers have become active players by sharing opinions on their online purchases: they are now an integral part of the production chain, being defined as prosumers.
European Commission is paving the way for a more sustainable consumption approach through the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
According to EU Directive, to improve gender balance on company boards by 2026, publicly listed companies must have members of the underrepresented sex hold either at least 40% of non-executive director positions or at least 33% of all director positions.
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the related new reporting standards developed by European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) extend reporting obligations to all large companies in the EU and set more stringent Commitments.
In December 2020, the EU Commission presented the EU Cybersecurity Strategy, with the goal of strengthening Europe's resilience to cyber threats, which is currently being implemented.
The Commission is drafting a Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity.
